Prego, F J; Solla, M; Núñez-Nieto, X and Arias, P (2016) Assessing the applicability of ground-penetrating radar to quality control in tunneling construction. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 142(5): 06015006, ISSN 0733-9364
Abstract
Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) has proved to be a valuable method for tunneling quality management and evaluation. The research literature includes many successful works addressing the use of this technique with the aim to detect the existence of internal pathologies and anomalies. However, most of them have been carried out on tunnels in operation. In these situations, the identification of inner elements and possible damage has been severely limited due to a shallower rebar mesh that complicates the radar data interpretation process. Therefore, this paper presents the evaluation of an excavated high-speed railway tunnel during the early stages of construction instead of considering a finished one. The purpose of the study was to demonstrate the potential of this method when applied during these first critical phases. The results provided noteworthy information: namely, thickness of the gunite layer, lining voids and delamination, moisture problems, and the presence of reinforcing in the tunnel lining. All this information may be useful for civil engineers when they must make a decision on maintenance and prevention tasks.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | ground-penetrating radar; gunite thicknesses; information technologies; moisture; tunneling; voids |
| Index terms: | prevention, rebar, presence, quality management, civil engineer, pathology, thickness, quality control, tunnel, information technology |
| Subjects: | financial risk, computing systems, building materials, profession, quality assurance, materials science, infrastructure and transport systems, medical science and clinical practice, project delivery, environmental science |
| Topics: | Health and Safety, Cost Management, Construction Materials, Quality Management, Digital Applications, Roles and Professions, Engineering Principles, Sustainability |
| Descriptive scope: | 2 PC |
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